


Go, Boy (Run For Your Life)

by FrozenHearts



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Compliant, Dad!Cor, Families of Choice, Family, Father Figures, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Gen, I'm Bad At Titles, I'm Sorry, Implied/Referenced Abuse, MT!Prompto, Names, Niflheimr | Niflheim, Poor Prompto, Prompto Gets A Family, Why Did I Write This?, magitek troopers - Freeform, papa cor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-11-28 07:59:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11413584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenHearts/pseuds/FrozenHearts
Summary: Cor didn't want to call the kid by whatever code the Nifs had branded on his wrist for all to see.





	Go, Boy (Run For Your Life)

**Author's Note:**

> Prompto is like, 17 here I guess. So the canon is diverged; Cor found Prompto when he was older here.

Cor didn't want to call the kid by whatever code the Nifs had branded on his wrist for all to see. The kid was wet from the rain, too skinny for his own good and judging from how he held himself, hiw his violet eyes darted between Cor and every possible escape route, he probably has seen some shit.

The only reason they found him was because Clarus heard the whimpering while pushing open cell doors, Cor having gone to the archives to dig up whatever information they could about Iedolas and the rest of the empire.

"Found him in what was probably a containment chamber," Clarus explained, ushering the teenager forward gently. "No windows on it either."

Cor grunted. He knew solitary confinement when he saw it. And this skinny slip of a boy was definitely in solitary confinement. His skin was ashen despite the smattering of freckles on his cheeks, blond hair matted and greasy from going unwashed for so long. Dribbles of what Cor assumed to be blood was dried in trails down his chin- although he didn't remember humans having daemon blood in their systems.

Cor pursed his lips. The kid was probably going to die soon. Hopefully sooner came very soon, like right now. 

"Well?" Clarus coughed, "What are we going to do with him?"

"We can't leave him here," Cor said.

Clarus scoffed, "Obviously."

Cor looked at the kid again. He was staring at the ground, swaying slightly against Clarus's grip on his arm.

"Did he tell you his name?" Cor asked.

Clarus shook his head, "Said he wasn't allowed one. Whatever that means."

Right. That meant a lot. A name was one's identity, a way to say hello. A special thing that no one could take away. But that was taken from the kid standing before him, apparently.

Despicable.

Cor turned to the kid, clearing his throat, "Care to tell me your name, young man?"

The kid picked his head up, brows knit together as he mouthed, "My... name, sir?"

"Yeah," Cor said, poitning to himself, "My name is Cor. The bulldog next to you is Clarus-"

Clarus snorted, barking out an angry "Cor!"

"- So what about you?" Cor ignored him, keeping his eyes trained on the boy, "What's your name?"

The boy looked between the two men, frowning as Clarus lightened his grip on his arm. Cor thought he couldn't be any older than Noctis. Gladiolus was about two years older, if he bothered to confirm with Clarus. 

"Cor," the boy repeated, then turning his gaze to Clarus, "Clarus?"

Clarus gave him a tentative nod, "That's what we're called." Cor met Clarus's bewildered gaze, his eyes seeming to scream "We're in deep shit now, you realize that, right?"

The boy was quiet for a minute. Cor could hear pipes humming inside the walls, water leaking from a spot on the ceiling in the distance. They probably should be moving, leaving the base and climbing back into the Regalia.

Cor wasn't sure how they were going to explain a teenager who didn't even understand the goddamned concept of a name.

"Oh," the boy suddenly said, "You must mean my designation."

Cor gave him what he hoped was a comforting smile. Clarus had let go of his arm by now, seeing as they hadn't moved from the hall in what seemed like hours.

Cor didn't really want to stay here any longer.

"Right," Cor nodded, "Designstion, name- same thing, right?"

Before he could ask again, the boy shoved his left arm out, fist up as he said, "My designstion."

Cor paled as the boy rattled off a list of numbers. "Unit" he had said, sounding as if he said this often. Cor looked at Clarus; the man looked ready to throw up.

"No, son, we need your name," Clarus interjected gently, the boy flinching as he tried to rub his shoulder reassuringly.

"My designation, yes," the boy said sharply, "Unit NH-0293-"

"No."

The boy clamped his mouth shut.

Cor sighed, taking the boy's wrist in his hand. This... this was worse than Regis thought. The boy's skin was warm, his pulse quick under his thumb. A few of his veins were an ugly black, tracked with scars and what looked like pricks of a needle. Regis believed MT's to be mere robots, buckets of bolts used to make the empire's army stronger.

They were wrong. They were using their own children. 

Nameless children. 

Fuck.

"I'm not calling you that," Cor said bluntly. He gave the boy's wrist a squeeze, "No one is ever calling you that ever again."

"I-Is that an order?" the boy's voice was soft, too soft to be heard, really.

"Yes. From now on, you will not answer to a code," Cor said, "we'll give you a name. A real name."

The boy blinked, confusion obvious in his eyes, "But I'm an MT. MT's don't have names."

Cor saw Clarus fidget from the corner of his eye. This was going to be a disaster.

"Kid, I'm not calling you by that code. You're not a machine-"

"But-" 

"-so before we leave this shithole we're going to come up with a name you like, okay?" Cor raised an eyebrow at the boy, then at Clarus. He seemed a bit lost, exasperated as he scratched his head.

"Do we have time for this, Cor?" Clarus asked.

"We're not leaving until he tells me his name."

So Clarus seceded, sitting himself down against the wall as Cor stayed crouched in front of the boy. He seemed nervous, fisting the hem of his shirt as he peered around the corridor.

He was probably worried about getting caught, Cor realized.

"Is this going on the report?" he finally asked, "Because I already have three demerits."

Cor cocked his head, "Demerits?"

The boy nodded, "I couldn't stay awake any longer. I.... I passed out during training. S' why I was in solitary."

Cor heard Clarus mutter "God fucking damn it!" under his breath, the boy frowning down at him as he waited for an answer.

"You don't need to worry about that anymore," Cor said quietly, "No one is going to write yoi up for anything."

The boy looked at Cor, then at Clarus with a shrug. It took a few seconds, but he finally nodded. Cor beamed, giving his wrist another comforting squeeze.

"Good," Cor said, "As Clarus said, we might not have time to sit here like I wanted. We can pick a name for you in the car."

The boy sniffed. Cor didn't even notice he was crying until he saw more of that black goop leaking from the corners of his eyes.

"Cor," Clarus grunted as he got up, Got a call from Crowe. We have to leave."

Cor bit his lip, "Now?"

Clarus sighed, "Pronto. I'm sure Gladiolus and Noctis can keep the boy company when we get back. Just until we get everything sorted."

Cor drew himself up to his full height, the boy looking up at him from a good two feet away. He placed a hand on his shoulder, "Ready to go, kid?"

"Prompto."

Cor chuckled, "What?"

Now the boy looked away, plucking at the hem of his shirt.

"Can.... can that be my name?" he asked quietly. Cor looked at Clarus. The Shield was already making his way towards the exit, beckoning them to follow.

"Prompto?" Cor reiterated. The boy nodded.

"Is that a suitable name?" he asked.

Cor smiled, slinging an arm around the boy's- Prompto, he had to remember- shoulder as Clarus yelled for them to "Hurry up, boys! We're wasting daylight!"

"Well, Prompto," Cor said, "How about we get you home?"

The engine was running by the time they made it to the car, Clarus gunning it before Cor could make sure Prompto was safely inside.

No one looked back at the base, soon letting it disappear in a cloud of dust behind them.


End file.
